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What's For Dinner?: Stress For Working Moms

This isn't a new article, but thanks to Diane from WomensDish, we've just found it. According to a 2003 study by the University of Illinois, the 5:30-7:30pm is an extremely high stress time of day for working married moms - and much less so for single working moms.

From the article:

Single moms may feel less bound to live up to magazine-cover images and standards of the normative American two-parent family -- such as dinner on the table at 6. Without the presence of a husband and father who has to be catered to, things become more simple and flexible.

If you are a married working mom, do you feel more pressure to get dinner on the table because your husband is expecting it or because you think that it's important for your family? If you're a single working mom, do you agree with the findings of this article?

2 comments so far...

In India, dinner is normally anywhere between 8-9.30 pm. I try to get dinner on the table by 8.30 but some days, that's when I get home because I have to work long hours at the office. I went back to full-time work two years ago. My son is now six. My husband took a sabbatical for over a year during this time. But never was dinner on the table when I got home late. At best, I'd get a phone call asking: Can we order in tonight? I tried to avoid that as much as possible.
Indian cooking is also labor intensive and DH is a picky eater. So yes, pre-dinner time is big-stress time. It used to be worse: I'd be hungry and be cooking so I'd snack to keep myself going. Big mistake. The pounds piled on. :(
One plus was that this forced me to get even more organized at home so I wasn't completely dead by the time dinner was ready.
Why do I feel the pressure? I'd say all of the above: expectations and because it is important for my family.